The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The acetabular cavity of the Pelvis forms the socket and the head of the femur forms the ball part of the joint. The head of the femur (the upper end) is connected to the main shaft of the femur through its neck.
Fractures sustained through the neck of the femur are often difficult to treat as they lie within the joint and do not heal easily.
Post-operative complications like collapse of the bone at the fracture site, non-union of the fracture and avascular necrosis of the head of femur are also common. This is because of the nature of blood supply at this region.